HMS Argonaut (C61)

Dido Class Light Cruiser

June Mary Lee : 2018-6-3;20:40 my dad Allan Pounder has Dementia but he still remembers his ship and the places that he went while at war. June Lee daughter -----

Built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. Laid Down 21 November 1939.

Launched 6 September 1941. Completed 8 August 1942.

Torpedoed 14/2/43 in W. Med - Philadelphia for repair 3/43 - 11/44

Paid off 1946. In reserve 1946-1955. Broken up by Cashmore, Newport, 1955.

The last Dido to be completed (August 1942) to the unmodified design with three twin turrets forward. Argonaut was one of the 1939-programme ships which had been suspended in the Dunkirk emergency, and as a result did not join the fleet until August 1942. She served with the Home Fleet initially, operating to Spitzbergen and north Russia in October before going to Force H for the North African landings, Operation Torch, in November. Following this, she moved to Bone as part of the Strike Force there, operating with Aurora. On 14 December 1942 she was hit by two torpedoes and badly damaged, both bow and stern being blown off. Repairs in Philadelphia took until November 1943. The third ('Q') turret was removed. On her return to Britain she served with the Home Fleet, and was at the Normandy landings as part of Force K off Gold Beach. In August she transferred to the Mediterranean for Operation Dragoon, and in September moved to the Aegean, but in November she was ordered to the East Indies for carrier escort duties. By December 1944 the ship was covering raids against targets in Sumatra and the Arakan campaign. In January 1945 she was ordered to the British Pacific Fleet, 5th Cruiser Squadron, and took part in the operations around Okinawa and later against the Japanese mainland itself before being withdrawn in August for the occupation of Shanghai. Argonaut returned to Portsmouth on 6 July 1946, reduced to reserve and never recommissioned. She arrived at Cashmore, Newport, for scrapping on 19 November 1955.